As every spring from 1951 you will have the chance to admire one of the most beautiful sights the Eternal City has to offer: the stairs of the Spanish Steps will be embellished with flowerpots of azaleas as a colourful way to celebrate the arrival of the new season.

Why use Azaleas to celebrate spring? The answer, besides the fact that azaleas are beautiful and are in full flowering during April, is hard to guess. For some, the idea might be somehow connected to the legend of the Roman goddess Proserpine who escaped from her husband Pluto to go back to her mother Ceres, but due to a spell cast on her by her husband she had to spend six months on earth and the other six months in the underworld with him. According to the legend Proserpine, by going back to earth, gave start to spring and summer, while during the six months that she had to spend in the afterlife autumn and winter arrived on earth.

The dates can slightly vary in operation of the flowering of the azaleas, but the office of the tourism will provide all the necessary information.

If you’ll be in Rome in that period don’t miss this opportunity!!! The Spanish Steps are waiting to celebrate with you! Book at the Hotel Des Artistes or Yes Hotel located only a walk away from the Spanish Steps!

When: Springtime

Where: Spanish Steps, Rome

How to get there: From Yes Hotel or Hotel Des Artistes, take the red subway line at the Termini Station and get off at the station Spagna

Living in Rome is full of small joys and one of our favorites is to see the city bloom in April, as if waking up from its winter sleep.

The ritual sign that let you know officialy that spring has arrived are the Azaleas of the Spanish Steps. Every year for the last 75 years the staircase is decorated towards the end of April with flowers that contribute to the feeling of joy that pervades the city when winter is left behind.